Night of the Past
by i.paint.the.sky
Summary: Hermione travels back in time to the MWPP era, where she meets a mysterious young man from her future.  Written for the Hermione FQF.  ONE SHOT


TITLE: Night of the Past  
  
AUTHOR: The Cleric 007  
  
PAIRING: HG/SS (yes, it's weird, I usually despise this pairing!!!)  
  
RATING: PG (for some, implied sexual content)  
  
FEEDBACK: thecleric007@hotmail.com  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any characters from Harry Potter, sadly. I am not making any money from this story, even more sadly, because I could use it (university student with high tuition)  
  
SUMMARY: Hermione travels back in time to the MWPP era, where she meets a mysterious young man from her future.  
  
NOTES: Part of the Hermione Granger Fuh-Q Fest, first wave, in response to scenario 2: Snape needs a magical herb to brew a potion in the fight against Voldemort. There are just two problems. One the herb is extinct in the current time and two it only grew on Hogwarts land. Hermione is sent back in time to gather samples to bring back, the only catch is that someone sees her one night. Kudos to those who recognize the herb!  
  
OOTP SPOILERS: None  
  
ARCHIVING: The Hermione Granger Fuh-Q Fest, and FanFiction.Net. If anyone else is interested, please ask (I'm sure I'll say yes)  
  
DEDICATION: To my wonderful Beta, Lacey!!!  
  
"You of course would not be my first choice for such a mission, but given the circumstances I am unable to send another."  
  
Hermione Granger discreetly rolled her eyes. She wished Professor Snape would just shut up, and let her go. She was excited about this mission, and had never cared about his opinion, the greasy git. She was only just able to keep an irritated retort from leaping out of her throat, containing herself to merely smiling and nodding.  
  
Snape stepped towards her, leaning over Hermione's desk and glowering at her. "Swiftly in and swiftly out, Ms Granger. You must not be seen by anyone. Not a single person."  
  
"Of course not, Professor. May I go now?"  
  
He turned away, uttering a deep sound of disgust that Hermione chose to take as a yes. As quickly as possibly she left the dungeons, and hurried off towards the Whomping Willow, the location of her objective twenty years ago.  
  
*~*~*  
  
The herb known as kingsfoil was a powerful magical ingredient. Typically used in healing draughts, it was also powerful in dark brews. Snape needed it for some unknown potion, to use against Voldemort.  
  
The only problem was that kingsfoil was extinct, and the potion called for it fresh. Hermione knew that years ago the last of the living kingsfoil had grown on Hogwarts' grounds. What she had not known was that it had been the planting of the Whomping Willow which had led to the extinction. This she was informed by Snape, who snidely alluded to Lupin's continuous complication of the Potion Master's life, at the beginning of the mission briefing. Because of an allergy to Willow spores, the last kingsfoil had died just about two decades before the present time.  
  
Thus Hermione, being the only student at Hogwarts already permitted to use a time-turner, was given the task of traveling back in time twenty years, and harvesting the needed ingredient.  
  
*~*~*  
  
The night was overwhelmingly dark. Hermione had planned it perfectly, making sure to arrive during the new moon. It would not only make discovery less likely, but was also conducive to long life. After all, if she had calculated correctly - and she had - she would have arrived at Hogwarts during Remus Lupin's sixth year. And she knew from experience how dangerous werewolves are.  
  
She scanned the area around herself. Nearby she saw some small, blue and white flowers. Kingsfoil. She set upon the task of harvesting it, a long and tedious job for a good deal of the herb was needed, and this plant was already showing signs of sickness. Hermione lost herself in the repetition, picking, cleaning, storing. Picking, cleaning, storing. Nothing existed except her and the plant. Nothing mattered except her mission.  
  
Until the sound of footsteps sent her whirling around in horror.  
  
Standing before her was a student who appeared to be about her age. She looked up from the ground where she sat, into the dark eyes, pallid face and greasy hair, and with a shock recognized Severus Snape's teenage-self.  
  
"Who are you?" her future-professor demanded.  
  
"Um." Hermione's brain raced, trying to figure out a reasonable identity. "I'm. nobody important."  
  
"Why haven't I seen you in school then?"  
  
"I'm in fifth-year," she quickly said, hoping that she was right about it being Snape's sixth.  
  
"I still should have at least seen you." Snape's eyes were full of distrust, as Hermione frantically tried to find a solution.  
  
"Oh," she said suddenly, the answer clear, "I'm in Hufflepuff." She knew that no Slytherin would ever associate with a Hufflepuff.  
  
"Oh, well then, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I am, ah. looking at these pretty flowers." It galled her to have to pretend ignorance in front of Snape, but it was the only way to allay his suspicion.  
  
"Flowers?" Snape said in dismay. "Flowers? These are powerful herbs, known as kingsfoil. Very powerful."  
  
"Really? Wow!"  
  
Hermione hoped with all her heart that he would leave, but these hopes were dashed as he walked over to the plants, sitting down beside them.  
  
"So," he said as he began harvesting where Hermione had left off, unknowingly of course, "you didn't tell me your name."  
  
"It's, uh, Hermione," she finally answered, deciding that revealing her actual name would do no more damage then had already be done.  
  
"That's an interesting name. Greek, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, it was the name of Helen of Troy's daughter."  
  
"It's very long though. Do you go by anything shorter?"  
  
"No, never. I hate it when people shorten my name."  
  
"Me too. My name is Severus, by the way."  
  
"Nice to meet you," she said, while in her head she screamed at him to go away.  
  
He nodded, moving about to make himself more comfortable, as if he intended to stay for a very long time.  
  
*~*~*  
  
As time passed, and she and Snape talked, Hermione found her thoughts changing from those of disgust and anger at the interruption, to those of understanding and sympathy. And more. She found herself strangely drawn to him, in an eerie sort of way, despite herself and who he would become. She found herself thinking of him as Severus, while Snape was the arrogant, unfair professor of her school years.  
  
She understood being unpopular. Sure, she had Ron and Harry, but most of the school only thought of her as a know-it-all sidekick of the Boy-Who- Lived. She may not be as openly tormented as Severus, though Malfoy tried his best, but she understood where he was coming from. If she wasn't unpopular, she was at the very least not popular.  
  
Hermione lost track of time, as they talked and talked and talked. She had never connected with anyone as quickly or completely as she did with Severus. The feeling was intoxicating. And instead of fighting the connection, she surrendered to it.  
  
So when Severus moved closer to her, she did the same to him. When he touched her hand, she turned it over and threaded her fingers through his. When he kissed her, she kissed him back.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Afterwards Hermione lay enfolded in Severus' arms. She ignored her brain for once, paying attention only to her heart, as its beating stilled from the lovemaking. She didn't want her head to ruin this moment. By reminding her that she was twenty years in the past, lying naked beside her equally naked future teacher.  
  
After what seemed at an eternity, yet not nearly long enough, Severus rose, mumbling that his housemates might notice his absence, along with gentle words of endearment. And kisses, so many kisses. Yet not nearly enough.  
  
Once he left, she slowly rose, and put her robes back on. Interestingly enough, Severus had never noticed that she wore the uniform of a Gryffindor, rather than a Hufflepuff. Or maybe he did, and chose to ignore it. She supposed she would never know.  
  
As she finished her harvest, glistening streams flowed over her face. She knew that she would never see this Severus again, only the abomination who was the Hogwarts Potion's Master. What had happened, she wondered, to change him so much?  
  
*~*~*  
  
When Hermione arrived back in the future, Snape was waiting for her. She looked at his face, and realized he had known what would happen. He had known that his younger self would be there, and that Hermione would end up sleeping with him. That was why he had been so adamant about her not being found. Because he didn't want himself to find her.  
  
"So, you have the ingredients?"  
  
Hermione looked up into his eyes, the same eyes she had stared into what seemed like a lifetime ago. In there she saw the desperate hope to never discuss what they had done that night, so many years ago. But she had to, she couldn't leave it unsaid.  
  
"Professor Snape, I."  
  
"Ms Granger, there is no need to discuss every moment of your mission. Either it was a success or not, that is all that matters. And, as I can see that you have the kingsfoil, obviously you were successful. So, if you will excuse me, I have a potion to brew, and you should be getting to your dormitory, if you don't want to lose your house any points."  
  
Snape snatched up the herbs and turned, robes billowing around him as he hurried away. And in that moment Hermione understood why he had always been so hard on her, never saying a word of praise, despite her being the top of the class.  
  
Because twenty years ago she had made love to him, and left without a word. And broken his heart. 


End file.
